


Supernatural Roommates

by CourageofAwesome



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Amnesia, Brainwashing, Dead but not really, Demons, F/M, Fairies, Ghosts, Originally on fanfiction, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Supernatural Elements, Werewolves, alternative universe, revamped
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-08-01
Packaged: 2019-09-24 15:04:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 18,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17102843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CourageofAwesome/pseuds/CourageofAwesome
Summary: Originally posted on Fanfiction; revamped.When Raven Phillips finds herself stuck between a rock and a hard place, she stumbles upon an abandoned manor with a rich, but haunting history. That's not the only thing haunting it, however. Now Raven must uncover difficult truths, but will love be uncovered along the way? Or will she flee from it?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is a revamped and republished work of mine that was originally posted on Fanfiction. I decided to redo it and move it away from the toxic environment that site was unfortunately becoming. Please be aware that I do not have a proofreader/beta, so there will undoubtedly be mistakes. This shouldn't take near as long as other stories to update, hopefully.
> 
> I hope some fans of the original work will be pleased to see this here. I'll try to stay as true to the original story as I can.
> 
> I do not own Zelda.

The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the leaves were changing such pretty colors. It would have been nice if it were any other day. Just not today. Any other day, but today.

I took a mental note to stop by this area again when I was currently not being pursued by a pack of rabid dogs.

My chest heaved painfully, my lungs burning as I sucked down air. I could feel my legs protesting every step I took, muscles cramping, but I had to continue on. Risking a quick glance behind me, I could see the dogs gaining on me, gnashing teeth dripping with saliva. My panic continued to rise. With sweat dripping down my face, my feet pounding against the sidewalk as I ran, I quickly squashed that very same panic. I was _NOT_ about to get mauled by a couple of dogs; not today.

The suitcase in my hand swung back and forth beside me as I ran. It carried all the clothes I had bothered to pack. The satchel strapped to me, however, carried my most valuable belongings. My pencils, colors, paints, a sketchbook, a notebook, and a picture of my family. These were my most treasured objects.

My family… They weren’t here anymore. Nearly a year ago, a fire had broken out, killing them all. I had been away from the house at the time, and the fire department had no explanation as to what had happened, only that the fire had inexplicably broken out within my own room. The men had offered me their condolences with sad faces.

I shook my head. _Come on, Raven! Run faster! There’s no time to think of stuff like that now._ I told myself, long inky hair whipping behind me. I needed to find a way to escape these dogs. I didn’t want to hurt them if I could help it. I looked for an out, anything really. Nothing. With a groan, I continued running through the countryside as the road turned more twisted and the trees became more ominous looking.

Now, if this were one of my novels, the heroine would have avoided this kind of route all together by any means necessary. She would have thought things out rationally. Funny thing is, when you're actually in danger, rational thinking tends to fly from one's thoughts. Not that I even had a choice, really.

I knew I shouldn't have, especially since I had already done it once and had gotten away with it, but I looked over my shoulder anyway, ignoring all inner protests. I wanted to see what kind of dogs were chasing me. Like I said, rational thinking out the window.

The dogs that pursued me were big, black… Dobermans… crap!

I was growing tired and I was pretty sure, I couldn't outrun Dobermans. And just like that, as I suspected, after looking over my shoulder, I fell to the ground, my foot snagging a tree root. I hit with a heavy _thump!_ —my body sliding down the path, loose dirt and pebbles adhering to my skin. _Keep moving… Keep moving!_ I told myself, scrambling to lift myself up.

Before I could get to my feet, the Dobermans descended on me like the plague, their paws scratching at my arms, leaving shallow marks, as I attempted to cover my face and throat. They growled viciously, snapping at whatever they could reach. I screamed, one of the three latching onto my leg, shaking its head wildly. With all the force I could muster from my awkward position, I slammed my suitcase against its head before swinging it in a large arc making the others back off warily. I was up and running again before they could comprehend what happened.

My injured leg burned as I ran. I could feel the blood dripping down my calf, staining my jeans. But there was no time to worry about that now. The dogs were after me again!

A bridge was suddenly in sight and I made a mad dash for it. It connected to halves of a large chasm, the path changing into cobblestones. I silently hoped I'd be safe whenever I got to wherever I was running to, hoping it wouldn’t turn out to be a dead end.

It wasn’t long until I could see a large structure coming closer, or I was getting closer to it. No matter. Maybe it was a building. When it became clearer, I couldn't help but sigh in relief. It was a tall wall made of stone, an menacing building looming behind it.. My relief quickly vanished when I slammed into the gate and shook it. It was locked and it didn't appear that I was close enough for people to hear my screams… if there were any people left inside.

I could hear the dogs getting closer. Making a split second decision, I threw my suitcase and satchel over the wall and climbed into a nearby tree. Not even a minute after reaching the first branch, the dogs attacked the tree, jumping up in the air to try and reach me. I used my good foot to kick at a dog that got too close.

As I climbed the tree, my wound continued to bleed and my adrenaline was beginning to wear off. I was getting a little lightheaded, but nothing unmanageable. I could not afford to stop. There was only a few feet separating me from the dogs, after all. I climbed even higher, finally getting to a position where I was higher the top of the wall. Carefully, I walked across a long, thick branch, praying to the Goddess I wouldn’t slip. It was still a good six foot gap from the tree to the wall.

Using all the energy I had, I sprung off the branch like a springboard, and leapt towards the wall. I landed on the very edge of the wall my feet skidding across the stone, clambering for purchase. At last, my toe found a threshold between the stones, the dogs snapping down below. I flung my leg over the other side, straddling the wall and stuck my tongue out at the dogs, teasing them in their failure. Flinging my other leg over the side of the wall, I jumped down and retrieved my bags.

I sighed and took a minute to catch my bearings, not believing how I had managed to outpace the speedy animals. Someone must surely be looking out for me… that or the dogs were just too stupid to give a proper chase. Either way, you wouldn’t hear me complain.

Shouldering my bag, I continued onwards, walking towards to what I hoped would be a safe place.

* * *

 

_List of Things to Do:_

_Treat Wounds_

_Take a Bath_

_Pick My Jaw Up Off the Ground_

I decided that completing the third objective would be the most feasible, considering I practically ate dirt when I saw the building in front of me.

After walking up a long, cobbled path lined with creepy looking trees, crows sitting in just about every branch, I came across what appeared to be a flipping castle! Well, castle might be an exaggeration, but it was more or less a mansion. I couldn’t place the era, however, as the design appeared to combine many different styles of the many different centuries of Hyrule’s history.

The large structure towered over me with its dark, eerie towers reaching up into the sky, resembling that of the Northern gothic style. The detail carved into the columns that surrounded the building were so defined, I could make them out in the distance, vines and florals so real, I thought they might grow right out of the masonry. The mansion seemed to jump out the pages from my favorite story, "Beast in the Twilight Shroud."

Debating whether or not I should approach the door or just leave, I remembered the dogs at the gate and decided right then and there that I would take my chances with the potentially abandoned and/or haunted mansion . Slowly, I approached the doors, taking note of the oaken grain, and hoped that I wasn't right and that it wasn’t abandoned. I grabbed the big, brass knocker and banged it against one of the doors a good couple of times. The knocker was in the shape of some gruesome and grotesque creature with gleaming eyes, a ring in its jaws. I waited for a moment and held my breath. Was it truly empty?

Suddenly, the door began to swing open, the hinges groaning and creaking. I observed in fascination as it appeared to do so without anyone there. Shrugging it off, I grabbed onto my bags and slowly walked in. This place was a mess. There was dust everywhere and cobwebs were attached to whatever they could grab, namely the intricate chandelier hanging above me as I walked into the foyer. There was no way anyone lived in this filth. This place seemed to be abandoned after all.

As I took note of my surroundings using the light from the doorway, the door suddenly shut behind me. I jumped with a yelp. "I-It was the wind! Y-Yeah… It had to have been the wind…" I laughed nervously. I reached for the door, only to find it stuck. "Great," I muttered.

It was rather dark with the door shut and the windows were covered with thick drapes, so I dug into my satchel to see if I had my pocket flashlight with me. Luckily for me, I did. My flashlight flickered on, and I let out a silent cheer. Deciding to look around, I made my way up the stairs.

After about twenty minutes of aimless walking—trying to ignore the hushed whispers I swore I could hear—I made my way down back into the foyer, the mansion too big to explore in one day. My head felt fuzzy and my body was growing tired. Surely it wouldn’t hurt to stop for a quick nap, right? Nothing would bother me accept a couple of spiders, maybe some bats. That wasn’t too bad.

I found a loveseat resting up against the wall, a dust cover draped over it. I took the cloth and revealed a comfortable looking piece of furniture with burgundy cushions. I sneezed lightly as I moved to sit. And as soon as my butt hit the cushion, I laid down and was out like a light, the whispers in the room lulling me to sleep.

* * *

 

My eyes opened slightly, a ceiling coming into a focus with a dirty chandelier that would undoubtedly be very pretty if it was clean. I yawned and sat up on the loveseat, recollecting the prior day’s events. I was alive and hadn't been mauled by dogs; I was relatively happy.

Remembering my wounds from the day before, I started to walk around the castle again. Maybe I could find a medical kit or something. The scratches had already started to scab over, but my leg definitely needed to be treated. I wandered around the first floor when I eventually stumbled upon the kitchen.

The kitchen was actually pretty big. There was a large hearth in the far corner of the room with a cooking spit hanging over it. A long table for preparing food was in the middle of the room and a long counter rested on the opposite wall of the hearth. Cupboards hung over it, probably once containing food, now most likely containing dust. There was on old pantry to the right. On the back wall was another door.

I would have thought there might have been a medical kit in the kitchen since that's where all the knives are. But no such luck. No matter how long I searched, I couldn't find any trace of a kit of any kind. Would there even be any medical kits in this place considering how old it must be.

Deciding to see where the aforementioned door would lead, I was surprised to see a courtyard on the other side. This section of the courtyard was fenced in and tiny, but charming nevertheless. There was a small well in the middle and what appeared to have been a garden.

Walking over to the well, I peered down inside. "Hopefully, the water in there is still good," I said to myself. I threw the bucket resting by the well over the side. The rope attached to it became taught after I heard the familiar splash of water. I started to crank the lever, pulling the bucket up, my sore muscles protested and strained. I could feel the scabbed over scratches on my arms reopening.

Finally getting the bucket up and out, I took off the flannel I wore over my shirt and ripped it into strips. I soaked one of the strips in the water and began to clean the scratches on my arms. Thank goodness the water wasn't stagnant. The scratches didn't hurt to terribly bad, so I quickly wrapped them with pieces of my shirt and moved to my leg. I rolled up the bloodied up pant leg and winced at the sight of my calf. A large chunk had been taken out of my leg, dried blood was crusted throughout the wound and around the edges. It was getting infected.

I pressed the wet cloth against the wound and immediately cried out in pain. If it burned just from cold water, I wondered what the wound would feel like with warm water or disinfectant. I hissed as I continued to treat my leg to the best of my abilities. After getting the use out of the cloth, I wrapped my calf in the rest of my shirt and proceeded back inside after dumping out the water.

Walking back into the foyer, I sighed. "You know," I said to myself. "Maybe I could live here. It's pretty intact for being so old." I scoffed. “Yeah, sure. As if I could ever afford a freaking mansion.” Of course, then again, there was quite the amount of damage, despite how well this place was maintained. "If the town does own the castle, maybe the value will decrease when they see some of the damage," I wondered aloud.

I took out my notebook and began listing the amount of damage in the foyer alone. There was a bit of water damage, loose floorboards, chipped paint, broken furniture, rust spots, holes here and there, and due to the imprints of dust on the walls a few stolen paintings. With all the damage, the value of this room alone would be cut down by at least half. Maybe I would be able to buy it after all. It would have to be done in many installments.

Leaving my bags on the loveseat, I walked to the front door and braced myself to yank it open. Using all the strength I could muster, I yanked the door open and flew backwards. Apparently, it wasn't as stuck as I thought it was. _Note to self, add door to the damage of the room._

As I stood to leave, the sound of rustling drew my attention. A piece of paper was fluttering along the floor, the edges yellowed with time. Picking up the paper, I took note of the official-ness of the document. It was… the deed to the mansion! What the heck was this doing here?! Why was it here? It was definitely not here before.

With a skeptical glance, I turned away and began my walk down the long driveway. Upon reaching the gate, it was already open when it wasn’t open yesterday. What was going on in this place? "Strange," I murmured. I turned around to look in the direction of the castle. "Well, I'll be back my future house!"

I started the long walk to town. I swore I heard the words, "Hurry back," on the wind's breath. Then again it was probably my imagination.

* * *

 

By the time I got into town, I was tired and sore. I felt like laying down and sleeping forever. I meandered around town before eventually stumbling upon the Town Hall. Walking inside, I felt a cool blast of an air conditioner, suddenly very grateful for that small gift. I approached the front desk and was greeted by a pretty lady with short red hair. She gave a quick bow before saying, "Welcome to Faron Town Hall. My name is Anju. Do you have an appointment?"

I smiled at her kind manner. "No ma'am, I'm afraid not. I'm new in town and would like to purchase a property," I explained.

"Oh, may I inquire what property? We have many fine homes available. And are you of legal age to purchase a property?"

I nodded. "Yes, I’m eighteen, so just barely old enough. But the thing is, I don't know if it's available. I stumbled upon it in the woods. It looks like an old castle. Here’s the deed," I said, sliding the legal document to Anju.

She put her hand to her mouth in surprise. "You made it through the Lost Woods?!" she asked.

"Lost Woods?"

Anju nodded. "The Lost Woods weren't always called that. It used to be called the Hylian Forest. But that was hundreds of years ago. The forest overgrew and all who enter it become lost, until today. Now, you mentioned something about a castle?”  She examined the deed carefully. “Well, I do believe you've stumbled upon the Twilight Manor. A long time ago, the Twilight Manor housed a beautiful lord and lady. One day, the lady of the house became enraged and jealous of her husband's wealth, for she had come from a poor family. She killed her husband and cursed the servants to wander for all eternity," Anju said in a storyteller-like voice.

 _So the castle I'm trying to buy really is haunted?_ I asked myself.

Anju continued. "Well, so long as you have this deed, we can legally say you own the mansion, given that there are no living relatives to inherit it.”

“Is that possible for there to be any relatives?”

She shook her head. “Very unlikely, but I’m going to do a data search just in case.”  The redheaded lady tapped away quickly at the computer for a couple of minutes. Soon after, she returned her gaze to me and smiled. “You are lucky. There are no living relatives of the lord or lady to inherit the mansion. Nor is there any will signing it off to someone.”

I let out a big huff of air. It felt so good to know that I had a home: some place I could go back to in the evenings and know I would be safe. "Do you mind giving me a ride back? It was a long way to walk here. We could mark the road as we go too.”

“Of course. I would be happy to.”

* * *

 

"Whoa, I never realized how big this place is," Anju gasped as we drove up to the castle. She parked the car and we filed out, heading for the building. As we entered, Anju looked shocked at the damage. "All this history, gone."

"I've started a list of all the damage. I hope to renovate and install electrical and better plumbing for sure. Hopefully, I can restore most everything.”

Anju smiled. "You could attempt to plea to the Province for a grant in the hopes they’ll take in the account of historical value.” I nodded, taking in her words. "Well, all right. I have the proper paperwork here. Just sign on these lines here, and I’ll take a quick picture of the deed for documentation… and done!"

“Thank you so much, Miss Anju, for everything,” I said, shaking her hand. “I’d hate to be a further bother, but would you mind sending for the doctor? I need a rabies shot for sure as well as a bit of treatment.”

"Sure. That’s no problem at all. It was nice to meet you…" Anju drawled.

"Raven. Raven Phillips."

"Well, see you later, Raven," Anju said, leaving.

I waved bye to her and showed her the way out. I listened as her car putted down the driveway. Closing the door, I sat down on the loveseat, exhausted. Without meaning to, I fell asleep.


	2. Chapter Two

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been reading the original story and cringing with every ounce that I am. I cannot see how this story was so popular on FF. Hopefully I am writing it a bit better with more continuity.
> 
> Major things to the plot have been changed (they didn't make much sense before). Everything should still unfurl as the original had, though. And I've been combining chapters to make them longer. Don't know if I'll add any actually new chapters, though, so this could only be around ten chapters. We'll just have to see.

My head was killing me, and I had a familiar aching in my arms and legs as well. I had stiffened up sometime during my rest, it seemed.

Sitting up, I took note of my injuries, and a sense of confusion washed over me. The wounds on my arms and legs were… wrapped? _Was I treated by someone? Did the doctor come and treat me? How did he get in? How long have I been asleep?_ There were so many questions racing through my mind.

I stood up and stretched my limbs, listening to my joints pop, feeling the strain of the bindings. I sighed. While I wasn’t feeling the best, I was feeling more refreshed than the night before. "All right," I told myself. "I guess I should start cleaning if I want to make this place actually habitable. I can worry about the treatment of my injuries later.”  Mother did always say never look a gift horse in the mouth. “First things first: dusting." I walked towards the kitchen to locate the cleaning supplies… or at least what was passing for cleaning supplies. It’d have to do until I went grocery shopping.

Tying an apron around my waist, putting my hair into a bandana, I made my way back into the foyer with the cleaning supplies and almost immediately dropped them. “W-What?!” A good portion of the room’s previous filth was gone, the main doors wide open. “Is this a joke?”

I looked around the room and swiped my finger across an end table. Absolutely no dust rubbed off. I briefly pondered the option of a phantom. How absurd… phantoms. I started to chuckle when a eerie wind blew by, making me shiver. "What was that?" I asked aloud, whipping around. It felt like something had breathed on the back of my neck. Was it really a ghost? Surely not. I breathed in deeply. "Get a grip, Raven," I ordered myself. "There's no such thing as ghosts. It was just the wind coming from outside. It probably blew away a couple layers of dust anyhow.” It was farfetched, but it was the only excuse I had. Anju’s story from yesterday must have gotten the better of me.

Sitting down, I rubbed the bridge of my nose, confused and frustrated. Could this house truly be haunted by the cursed spirits of its previous servants? My thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door frame. I got up to see an elderly man with large glasses and a bulbous nose staring at me from the threshold. "May I help you?" I asked.

"Yes, I'm the physician. I've come to give you a rabies shot and bandage your wounds," he said bluntly.

I was confused. "So you weren’t the one who treated me last night?"

"Of course not, you stupid girl! If you're not really hurt, I'm leaving!" he sneered, turning on his heel and leaving.

Standing at the door, baffled, I couldn't help but wonder who treated me. It made me worried, but I needed to stop the doctor. I sprang into action, grabbing his arm. “No, wait! I’m sorry. I’m just a bit… tired. Please, I still need the shot.”

The doctor harrumph, but conceded, giving me a shot before leaving me with the bill. He got into his car and drove off. Quickly reading over the bill, my eyes widened. What an astronomical sum for a shot!

My mind returned to my current problem. Someone had treated me the night before, meaning… someone was in the house. Gathering up my courage, I took a quick but thorough look around the house for anyone hiding out. Finding no one, I was stumped and returned back to the foyer.

 "I can't dwell on anything now. There’s no one here, and I need to clean," I decided, grabbing the mop and bucket of soapy water. Was I just being paranoid? The stress of the last couple of months was finally getting to me. Plunging the mop into the bucket, I started to mop the foyer floor and stairs. I mopped throughout the manor, making my way to second and third floors, only stopping to change the water every now again.

While mopping on the third floor, I came across an old wooden door. It had one of those old timey locks on it that usually had a big iron key to go with it. From what I could tell, this door should lead to the tower, or at least I hoped so. It appeared that way from outside at least.

Wondering what was up there, I grabbed the handle and pulled. Locked. "Just my luck," I grumbled. "How much should I bet that the key was one of the items that was stolen."

I headed back down to the foyer, hoping to get some more cleaning done, having decided to beat the cushions on all the furniture in the manor. I started with the cushions on the loveseat. Although most of the furniture was covered by dust covers, I didn't doubt that some dust and mice found their way to dirty it. I grabbed the cushions and started to drag it out the door.

As I opened it, I found a woman at the doorstep, her hand poised to knock. She had dark red hair in a ponytail, the individual pieces in dreadlocks. She was really tan and had a rather full figure. Small circles of color were tattooed under her eyes, and in her hands was a basket that smelled wonderful.

"Oh, sorry," I apologized, setting the cushions down for a second. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Oh, no! Of course not!" the woman exclaimed, her voice warm and rich. "I've come to help you and welcome you into town. I was told someone had moved into the Twilight Manor, and I thought I'd come see for myself, but I never expected you to be so young! I'm Telma."

I grabbed the woman's outstretched hand and shook it firmly. "I'm Raven. It's nice to meet you, and thanks for the welcome," I said, happily.

"It's no trouble. I thought you might join me for lunch," Telma suggested, holding up the basket. "I brought turkey sandwiches and some lemonade."

"You know, that would be great. I don't have anywhere to eat, though. I haven't gotten the kitchen cleaned yet," I informed Telma.

She smiled, giving me a wink. "That's quite alright. We can have a picnic!" Telma walked to a spot in the yard and laid out a blanket she pulled out of her basket. She handed me a sandwich and pulled out a thermos with lemonade in it. As we ate, I learned a lot about Telma. She ran a bar in town called the Sleeping Goron. Apparently, Telma and her husband Renado knew a few of the gentle rock creatures from the volcanic mountains and decided to use them as their muse.

I sighed, full and content. "So Telma. Do you know when school starts up again? I have finish my senior year."

Telma thought for a moment. "Next week, if I remember correctly," she said.

"Okay, then I still have time. I was hoping to finish cleaning up the manor before then. That reminds me, do you know any good electricians and plumbers? Well water and candles are great and all, but I'm gonna need some form of modern technology. I plan to live here for probably the rest of my life," I said.

"Oh, how wonderful! I hope you do decide to stay. As for your utilities, I have a friend of mine that would be more than happy to do it. He loves seeing new people move into our fair little town. I'm sure he would give you a good deal. His name is Auru. I'll give him a call when I can," Telma promised. "Now, let's get to work!"

Puzzled, my head tilted. “Huh?”

"What? Did you think after seeing you working so hard, I wouldn't have wanted to help? Come on, let's get started!" she said, moving towards the house.

I gave off a light chuckle before following her in. We ended up polishing all the frames to the furniture whether it was the chairs, tables, staircase, or the beds (which were huge, even in the old servants quarters). We had also gotten all the dust, dirt, and rodent presents out of all the mattresses and cushions in the manor. We also ended up cleaning the bathrooms, finding out that there was some form of plumbing, allowing for drainage of the tubs and sinks. At least there was that. For now, I’d have to carry water up from the well and heat it until real plumbing was installed.

"Phew," I breathed. "I'm done for the day."

"Same here," Telma sighed in exhaustion.

"I feel kind of bad about letting you clean my house," I told her.

Telma shook her head, a smile on her face. "It was no trouble. I enjoy helping people. That does remind me," she said, taking my hand. She placed a small pouch in my hand.

I opened it, and my mouth dropped. Inside was about a thousand rupees. "Telma, I can't except this. You've done so much already," I said, my eyes watering up.

"Nonsense," she dismissed. "Nothing is too much for my friends, and my friends deserve the best. Consider it a donation to help with the renovations, or an allowance. Children like you should be able to eat." Telma started for the door. Turning towards me, she smiled and said, "You should swing by the bar sometime. I'll have a nice meal waiting for you. And don't be afraid to come ask me if you should need anything. Renado would love to meet you as well!" Checking her watch, Telma gasped. “Oh! It’s getting late. I should be getting back to my hubby. Goodbye!” She left without another word.

I couldn't help but smile. Telma and I had gotten a lot of work done. The only things I had left to do were to clean the kitchen, trim the courtyard's foliage, do a few last things to the bedrooms and around the house, fix up a few things that were broken,—namely the old stable outside the manor—and maybe see if I could get the tower door open. Okay, so maybe I had more work to do than I thought. It would definitely take some time, but until then…

Deciding to relax a little, I grabbed my sketchbook and pencils and went to the courtyard. It was definitely overgrown, but it was still beautiful. There was a large fountain in the center, cobblestones circling around it, that was probably magnificent in its heyday. There were large crape myrtles, apple trees, grape trees, and other flowering trees. There were overgrown rose, hydrangea, and lily bushes. A large pond lay nestled at the far end of the courtyard, lily pads floating on the surface, a stone bridge stretching across. A patio with ivy wrapped around the columns of the canopy, old stone benches, and a table rested on the other side of the pond, probably used for brunches and tea. It was beautifully wild. Just on the other side of the wall was more of the forest known as the Lost Woods, overgrown and never tamed like the once plush garden.

It was a lot of information to take in.

It was the perfect time and environment to do some sketching. Twilight was, ironically, settling in over the Twilight Manor, and it gave the courtyard an otherworldly glow. I sat down on the grass and began sketching fervently. I was determined to capture the courtyard's essence in my drawing. It was my main focus to be an artist, and someday I would like to go to art school. But I needed to graduate high school first. It would be hard, considering my GPA hit a major block when I withdrew from the last half of junior year after the death of my family. I would have to make up those credits as well to graduate on time.

It was getting dark by the time I finished. I would have to add color to it later. Maybe I would start selling my art to make some money. Of course, I needed to find a market for my art, whether physical or online, beforehand. My career as a professional artist would needed to kick off before I could make any money. I needed clients for that. I sighed and set my sketchbook down.

Looking up for a moment, I suddenly had to do a double take. I could have sworn I saw someone lingering by the back gate. Getting up, I slowly approached where I saw the figure. No one was there. "My mind is playing tricks on me," I said, trying to convince myself. Just as I was about to turn away, I saw something by the timberline to the forest. Feeling compelled, I started running towards the figure.

I stopped, my breath freezing and blood running cold when I recognized what I was following. It was a wolf. It had a coat as black as the night and piercing blue eyes. I was following a predator! Strangely enough, the wolf wasn’t aggressive towards me. Not even making a move. I looked closer and noticed its transparent appearance, almost as if it were an apparition; a mere vision. Was it a spirit?

It headed into the forest.

Blindly, I followed it into the forest. _It feels like its leading me somewhere,_ I thought as I followed it. There was no hesitation in my steps, knowing the beast would not attack me. And I didn’t even think about the forest itself; its very name indicating that I would lose myself. If I was in my right state of mind, there was no way I would have gone in, but I found that I wasn’t, so I did anyway.

I weaved in between the foliage as I followed the ghostly wolf. At a break in the trees, I found myself at the bottom of a large hill, the wolf staring down at me from the top. Its gaze never left my own, daring me to hurry. I walked up the slope and the beast stepped aside, allowing me to reach the top.

Looking up, I saw the full moon pouring moonlight onto the earth like a kettle pouring tea into a cup. Something on the ground caught my eye, glimmering in the silvery light. It was an old key, worn with time. Picking it up, I wondered what it could go to when the tower door flashed through my mind. The whole time, the wolf was staring at me expectantly. Was it leading me to this key? And what was the key doing out here?

The wolf turned to leave, back in the direction of the manor, and I followed it. It led me out of the forest and back to the courtyard where it suddenly vanished. I spent a little too long looking for it before my curiosity got the best of me. What was in the tower?

With newfound wonder, I bolted for the door. I wanted… no… had to know what was in that tower. And I was going to find out.

* * *

 

The anticipation was making me a nervous wreck! My hands were shaking and I was in a cold sweat. I hoped whatever was behind this door was well worth it.

With a quivering hand, I inserted the old iron key into the lock. It slid into place perfectly. This really was the right key! I turned it slowly and watched as the door creaked open. I gazed into a small corridor, leading to a set of narrow stairs that climbed high into the darkness. Spider webs clung to every corner and dust layered the ground like a blanket of snow. I walked inside, holding in my sneezes, and went to stand on a step. The board moaned in protest from my weight, and I gave a silent prayer hoping that the stairs wouldn't break under me, sending me to my death.

Making my way up the spiraling staircase, I winced at each new sound the old boards made. Whether it was the stairs creaking, mice scurrying, or wind blowing through cracks in the walls, I tensed and waited for the other shoe to drop. Man, I was a wimp. I needed to man up… woman up? Whatever.

Finally making it up to the top of the stairs, I came across another door. This one, unlike the first, was unlocked. Twisting the handle, I entered what appeared to be a small bedroom. There was a single bed, a writing desk, a dresser, and something underneath a sheet against one of the walls. On the far wall was a double shuttered window. I couldn't believe this was all there was at the top of the tower. What a waste of time to find another bedroom in a house full of them.

I suddenly heard a loud bang from behind me. I whipped around to saw the door to the room closed. Pulling on it did nothing; it was jammed. "Great," I muttered, making my way to the old bed and sitting on it. Something on the bed rattled from my sudden weight, clacking together. I jumped up in alarm and yanked the blankets back, finding a set of old bones… a skeleton.

I blanched, but still reached out to touch the skull resting there when a deep growl suddenly brought me out of my thoughts, halting my actions. I looked up and saw the wolf from before, its eyes boring into me. It just had to be a spirit. How would it have gotten up here otherwise? Or was I just imagining it?

The wolf started to groan. It hunched over, and I watched in awe as its limbs seemed to grow into human-like features. The wolf stood up, revealing the form of a man. My mouth was gaping open and it would probably start catching flies any minute now if I didn’t move to close it. I could feel a scream building up in my throat. "Please don't scream!" the guy blurted out.

I slapped a hand over my mouth to stop the scream, gasping around my fingers. My eyes roamed over the new person in the room, bulging out of my head. He was tall. Golden-brown hair was tied into a small tail and, like his wolf self, he had piercing blue eyes. The man’s ears were pointed, indicating that he was a Hylian at some point, and he had little gold hoops in his lobes. All in all, dressed very nicely, the stranger looked a bit like a butler.

The spirit sighed—did he even have air to expel?—in relief. "Thank you for not screaming. Now let me explain, madam. My name is Link and I am the butler of Twilight Manor. Or was the butler, rather. The reason I brought you here was to ask for your help."

My mind back on track, I finally realized what was going on. "Wait. What do you mean help? You were the one who treated me, weren’t you? And the house… you’ve been doing everything?" I asked, needing confirmation.

Link sighed—was he actually breathing?—again. "Yes, I did all those things. I had no reason to keep up the housework until you showed up. It's unfit for a lady to have to live in such filth."

"A lady? Please," I scoffed, ignoring the fact that the butler still filled the need to clean even in death. "I was raised with two brothers and did martial arts for extracurricular activities. I've never been treated like a lady a day in my life."

"Well, that is a shame. For you are too beautiful for you to not be a lady, madam."

He was feeding me lines, I knew; telling me things girls normally liked to hear. There was no way someone as gorgeous as this ghost would ever say that to someone like me. Now, I knew I wasn’t necessarily ugly… just really plain… nothing to really garner any attention. And I was fine with that. My mouth tilted into a smirk. "Well, you're definitely charming and have a way with words. I'll give you that. But let’s forego the formalities. What is it that you wanted my help for?"

There was a pregnant pause before Link spoke again, not quite sure what to say. "I'm sure by now you've heard the legend about how the Lady of Twilight Manor killed her husband and cursed the household? Well, the legend is wrong. It was the husband who tried to kill the Lady of Twilight Manor. Only he failed. Instead, he imprisoned her in a mirror for all eternity. He cursed the staff to wander the land as spirits, and then scattered them."

"Why would he want to kill his wife?" I couldn't help but ask.

"She had unimaginable power. She was from a long line of royalty that had all but died out. However, the power of her ancestors remained with her, and though her husband was of the same race, because he was not a descendant of the royal family, he could not obtain the ancient power. He was already a mighty, powerful person, but he had a lust for more than his share. He wanted to rule the world," Link explained. "One night, the night before he tried to kill us, he woke up raving about being visited by a god of unmentionable power. He said his god gave him the ability to claim whatever he wanted. Whatever the lord desired, so did the god and vice versa."

"That's insane!" I exclaimed. "Whoever heard of idea like that?! To think, granted a power no one should ever possess. It's… unbelievable!"

"Believe it so, madam. I was there to witness it. That evening, I had discovered his plan and decided to put a stop to it. There was no way I'd willingly let him hurt the mistress. She had done too much for m—us—already," he said. Link took a long breath before continuing. "By the time I got to where they were, I was almost too late. He had the mistress bound in the cellar and was casting an incantation, probably some power that despicable beast of a god gave him! I managed to deflect the spell at the last second."

"How?" I asked, on the edge of my seat.

Link stood up and walked away from the bed, his feet making no sound. "I leapt in the way. Because of… because of… what I am…was, my body is more durable than a normal person’s. Instead of killing me, the spell drained all of my life force, yet leaving me in a state in between life and death. That in itself is what allows me to remain here. Otherwise, I would scattered around like the rest."

A pained look passed over his face, and I looked to the bones that lay on the bed. They were obviously Link’s bones, I realized. I wasn’t sure how they got up here, but I wasn’t going to bring it up to the ghost in the room. It was obviously a sore subject. "You loved her, didn't you?" I asked, turning back to face him. "The mistress of the manor, I mean." Link's breath—yeah breath—hitched. He nodded. "I'm sorry," I told him. "What happened to her?"

Link made his way to the sheet against the wall. I watched as the ghost became a solid entity for a brief moment and I could no longer see through him. He grabbed the sheet and pulled, revealing a mirror. Link faded back into a transparent state. He was a poltergeist.

I walked to the mirror. Instead of glass, a black foggy abyss laid beyond. Link pointed into the mirror. "She's in there. When he couldn’t kill her, the lord trapped her in there. Lady Midna is imprisoned in there."

* * *

 

I pulled the covers on the bed up to my chin, trying to sink into its warmth. Link had brought me to one of the bedrooms I had cleaned earlier today to sleep in. He said it wasn't right for a lady to sleep on a couch. He sure was old fashioned, not that I blamed him. After all it was about two to three hundred years ago when he was… killed? At any rate, I didn’t plan on sleeping on the loveseat anyway.

Link had mentioned something about wanting my help for something, but we never really got around to the details. As soon as he showed me the mirror, he just kind of shut down. Like all his energy was gone. Perhaps solidifying himself wore him out more than I would have thought. Still, I didn't doubt Link was outside my room right now, watching over me. It was more than a little creepy.

My mind drifted to thoughts of my family and their deaths. There had been no bodies to even bury. The only thing left behind had been ashes. What I wouldn’t give to see them just one more time. I guess that made Link and me similar in some ways.

I missed my brother Calum the most. He wasn’t only my brother, he was my best friend.

Closing my eyes, I pictured Calum in my head. I could see him quite clearly, tall and strong (he was the biggest person in the family in all actuality). His hair, a bright platinum blonde—nearly white—and his eyes were greener than the trees of the woods surrounding the manor. They always reflected so much emotion, giving away Calum’s most inner feelings. Most of my family had been like this: fair haired. I was the black sheep of the family with my raven colored hair and gray-blue eyes. I looked nothing like any of them. I could only wonder if I was actually adopted and they just never told me.

Calum had been majoring in the medical field with a minor in law enforcement. He wanted to be a field doctor. He would never be that now…

I couldn’t think of this any longer.

Changing my train of thought, I thought of what needed to be done tomorrow. I needed to get a hold of the Auru fellow if I was going to live here for one… Did Link even want me living here? Was he fine with me modernizing the manor? Would he have said something if he wasn't? Wait a minute! Why and when did I care what he thought? He was a spirit! And from what I gathered, some sort of monster during life too! I would need to keep my eye on him.

A yawn escaped past my lips. I needed to sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a long day. A very long day indeed.

* * *

 

I was exhausted. I didn't manage to get a wink of sleep last night. It was infuriating! All of that thinking I had done had caused my brain to be overrun. I should have taken a melatonin pill or something. Now I was afraid of not getting through the day.

I had already dozed off while cleaning the kitchen, earning me a head first dip into the sink I was cleaning, and that water was cold. That had woken me up for a little while, at least. Of course, I got an earful from Link after that. Something about how I could have drowned if I wasn't careful. Whatever.

Link. He was quite the interesting guy. Though, he could hold a solid form, he couldn't do it for long, I learned. That's why he wasn't cleaning as much of the house for me, or so he says, thought he did clean some. Mostly the places I couldn’t reach easily. He sure was kind.

"Ugh!" I groaned, hitting myself in the head. "What's wrong with me?!" I couldn't get that freaking ghost out of my head. I couldn't make up my mind about him either. Was he good or bad? "I'm hopeless!"

Link chose at that exact moment to pop around the corner. "Uh, Lady Raven? Are you quite all right?" he asked.

My head snapped up in his direction. "O-Oh! I am fine! No trouble here! Hah," I faked.

Link didn't believe my words one bit, that much was clear. His brow crinkled and he growled. "Why do you insist on lying to me, my lady?" he questioned, coming towards me.

"I-I'm not l-lying!" I stuttered. _Dammit! If he hadn't known I was lying already, that stutter would have given me away!_ I swore to myself.

"Yes, my lady. I do believe you are. Now, tell me what is the matter. Perhaps I can assist despite my limitations," Link bit out.

I gulped. I needed to think of a believable lie and fast. "I-I’ve been thinking of my brother _._ ” _Not totally a lie._ “He and my family were killed. I was just thinking about them and how I wish I could see them again.” _Not a lie._

I was nervous when Link did not give any indication of believing me. However, I relaxed when he smiled. "Ah, I see. That is quite… I'm very sorry, my lady. I wish there was something I could do. Please, forgive my boldness. If you'll excuse me."

Like I mentioned before, Link was a strange guy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!
> 
> If there's anyone hear from the original story, how am I doing? I would love to know what anyone thinks, so leave a comment! And feel free to bookmark and leave a kudos. If there are any questions, I would be happy to answer them.


	3. Chapter Three

It was a, surprisingly, warm autumn day. I couldn’t help but hum a little tune my mother taught me when I was young as I worked. The song originally came from an ancient race long forgotten by us. My mother was a descendant of that race. Supposedly, they were a race of tiny people. Unfortunately for me, the lyrics to the song were forever lost in time.

Hedge clippers in hands, I began pruning the plants in the courtyard. I would whip this place into shape in no time. Well, maybe not no time, but eventually. I wasn't trying to cut the bushes into fancy shapes, but just trying to trim them. Link had told me that he wished he could help but with other people here, he wasn't going to reveal himself.

Speaking of other people, I had finally contacted that Auru man Telma had mentioned, and him and his team were currently adding plumbing to the house. He had told me electricity would take longer to get since this house was so old and we weren’t trying to destroy anything. That didn't bother me at all. I didn’t mind using candlelight for the time being.

It had been a few days since I had first met Link and since he had told me about the woman named Midna trapped in the mirror. We haven't really talked about it since then, as it seemed to be a touchy subject, so I had no idea what he wanted me to do. What did he want me to do anyway?

"Miss Philips!" I heard someone call. Turning around, I lowered my hedge clippers and greeted an old man running to me. He looked to be around sixty with dark skin and greying hair. He had a big belly behind the overalls he wore, but he was still pretty muscular. His dark eyes almost appeared black and his Hylian ears were smaller than most.

"Auru," I said. "What is it?"

He stopped in front of me and smiled. "We are all done with the plumbing. Sorry again we couldn't install electricity today. The house is just too old for us to begin at the present time. We’ll be back within the week, though."

"It's fine. You've done more than enough. What do I owe you?" I asked.

"Absolutely nothing," Auru replied.

"Nothing?"

"Yes. Consider it a moving in present from me to you. A friend of Telma's is a friend of mine," the old man said. “Besides, I feel bad for charging someone so young.”

"Well, that’s not a very sound practice, but thank you very much,” I giggled. “Please, do charge me in the future, though.”

Auru nodded. "Well, I better get moving. Good luck moving in. So long!" he said, him and his men leaving the grounds.

As I waved, Link appeared beside me, fading in like the mist found in the forest. "So the manor has been modernized, I take it?" he asked.

I nodded. "To an extent. We have basically an unlimited amount of clean water now thanks to the plumbing. The rest shall come with time."

"I see. That shall make things more efficient, yes?"

"Yes, it should. I'm going to fix the stables after I get from town, though I’m not so sure what I intend to do with them… So if you wouldn't mind watching the manor, that'd be greatly appreciated," I told him.

"It would be no trouble at all, my lady. I live—exist—to serve you now."

I turned to the ghostly man. "I know it pains you to, but we are going to talk about this when I finish for the day. We have to talk about everything if you want me to be able to help you."

"Yes. I understand."

"Good. I'll see you in a little while, Link," I waved goodbye.

"Until later, Lady Raven. Stay safe!"

My heart ached for Link. Even though I didn't completely trust him yet, I couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He lost the woman he loved and became a spirit in one night. Maybe I could do something for him. I shook my head as I walked. What was I saying? I didn't even really know Link! I just met the guy like four days ago!

"Whatever," I mumbled to myself. After a few moments, my mind flashed to my brother. "Hah…” I sighed, “Calum would want me to help him.”

* * *

 

I rubbed at my temples in an irritated fashion. This whole conversation was getting on my nerves. Glaring at the man behind the counter, I growled low. "What do you mean prices for timber have gone up and you can't deliver? I just checked with you yesterday and timber was only twenty rupees a log!" I shouted.

"Yes, well, it's gone up since yesterday, little miss," the man behind the counter said. This guy looked to be a complete idiot. He had a small brown afro and a large red nose. He was tall, lanky, and had dull eyes… not to mention a dull personality. I had no doubt that he was into some shady dealings.

"Listen," I read his name tag. "Beedle. Can I speak with your boss?"

"Well, that depends on who's asking," Beedle winked at me.

I rolled my eyes, disgusted. "Firstly, I'm eighteen, pervert. Secondly, I'm the owner of Twilight Manor, I literally talked to you over the phone yesterday." I glared at the lackey with my hands on my hips. This little excursion was taking too long.

Beedle's eyes widened. "Oh! I didn’t recognize your voice! Stay right there! I’ll get my manager so you can discuss the price with him.”

"Finally. Maybe I can get some work done," I sighed, watching as the skinny man retreated to the back.

A few moments later another man came out. "Can I help you?" I heard him ask. I turned to face him, taking in his short, chubby appearance. He a fancy shirt and white pants. He had short brown hair, bushy eyebrows, and a thick mustache. He looked even less savory than Beedle. "I'm Ingo Gorman and I run this fine establishment."

"Fine establishment my butt! You're running a mad house here! Listen here, if you don't want to lose my business, I'll go somewhere else!" I demanded.

"Now, now, young lady. Let's not get over emotional. How about I lower the price from fifty rupees to… forty?" Mr. Ingo suggested.

I growled. "You must be joking! Yesterday it was twenty!" I yelled.

Mr. Ingo was taken aback. "Fine. Thirty then. That's my final offer."

I sighed and placed a hand on my head. "Mr. Ingo. You do realize by advertising one price on your posters and demanding a totally different one, despite how ‘long ago’ it was, is fraud, correct? I could take this to the police, you know," I explained.

"You wouldn't dare!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, I do. I do dare," I smirked. "Now I suggest, you let me pay the original price for my materials and let me leave."

I paid for my materials and went around back to pick them up. As I exited the store, I was tapped on the shoulder. I turned around and came face to face with a guy around my age. He was fairly handsome—tall and muscular—with his sandy blonde hair and fair eyes. All in all, he wasn't bad looking. "Hi," he smiled.

"Hi?" I said, confused, a smirk on my face.

"Oh, sorry," the guy said. "I saw how you handled that and I was really impressed. I'm Warren, by the way."

I shook his outstretched hand. "Raven. So how can I help you?" I asked.

"I was just wondering if I could treat you to lunch. I could also call a truck to help you carry those logs," Warren offered.

I thought about it for a moment. "You know what, I'll take you up on that offer."

Warren pulled out his cell phone and called a truck. "Where do you live?" he asked.

"Twilight Manor."

"Wait. You're the new girl! Whoa. Fancy meeting you here, then," he said. He continued to talk into the phone for a minute before hanging up. "All right. You all ready? Where would you like to go?"

"Let's go to the Sleeping Goron. I know the owner. She might give us a good deal."

"Okay. Let's go."

As soon as the truck arrived and was on its way with my things, Warren took my arm and led me to the Sleeping Goron. It was a nice restaurant. I could tell why Telma was so proud of it. As we entered, I was greeted by said redhead.

"Raven!" she shouted. "It's good to see you again! How can I help you this fine day?"

I smiled, a light chuckle passing through my lips. "Hello, Telma. It's good to see you too. Can we have a table?"

"Sure, Honey. Right this way."

Warren and I were led to a table in the back. As we sat down, Telma handed us some menus. "What can I get you?" she asked.

"Can I get a lemonade?" I asked.

"Same here," Warren joined in.

"Certainly. I'll be right back with your drinks," Telma smiled, walking away.

Warren placed his head on top of his hands and smiled at me. "So, Raven. Tell me about yourself," he said, still smiling.

I gazed at Warren, a little wary of what I should say. I didn't want to give too much information away. Luckily, I was saved by nature's call. "Oh, I'll tell you in a bit. If you'll excuse me, I'll be right back." I got up and headed for the bathroom.

When I entered the bathroom, I quickly took care of my business and washed my hands. I lingered at the sink a little longer, watching myself in the mirror. My palms felt all sweaty and I had butterflies in my stomach. Something didn't seem right about Warren. I shook my head. "Get it together, Raven! You're just nervous. You haven't really dated before! You'll be fine… Is this a date?"

I exited the bathroom and headed back for the table. I sat down in my seat across from Warren. "Sorry that took so long," I apologized.

"That's fine. While you were gone, our drinks came," Warren smiled. “Your friend said she be back in a moment to take our orders.”

"Oh, thanks. I've been needing something to drink. My throat is so dry," I admitted. I picked up the lemonade and brought it up to my lips. I sipped at the drink, blanching at the funny taste. “Ugh, can lemonade go bad?”

“Maybe the lemons were overripe.”

I groaned. “No. No, I don’t think so. My head… feels… funny. My tongue… numb…”

Warren smirked. "Ah, that would be the drugs taking affect, my dear Raven. Goodnight."

"You… bastard," I couched, slumping forwards. As I fell from my chair and towards the ground, a certain specter suddenly flashed through my mind, quicker than lightning. “Link."

* * *

 

The pain in my head pulsated hard and loudly, feeling much like a heartbeat. It felt like I had been hit in the head by a cinderblock. My first theory was that I had too much to drink but then I remembered that I wasn’t old enough to drink… legally.

"Ugh," I groaned. "What the hell happened? How long was I out? All I remember was that I went out to buy timber…" My memories suddenly came flooding back and I remembered. I went out with some guy and he— "That bastard! H-He! What did he do to me?! How—he’s going to answer for this!" I snarled to myself.

"Oh, really?" a voice said. "I'm going to answer to you, am I?

I turned to face the voice, finally taking notice I was in a cage. Past the bars stood my captor. I jumped to my feet. "Warren!" I growled, bawling my fist. I lunged for him before being abruptly stopped in my tracks, noticing there were chains connected to my wrists and the wall behind me. "What's going on here?!" I demanded.

Warren got a smug grin on his face before it suddenly warped into something hideous. Horns sprouted from under his blonde hair, the whites of his eyes turned black and the brown irises turned purple. Long fangs and claws formed from his teeth and nails. A long, forked tongue darted out of his mouth and a long, spaded tail sprouted out from behind him.

I stumbled back, hitting the wall. "W-What? Y-You're a d-demon?!" I stammered, suddenly very afraid. "Why?"

The new Warren just smirked at me. "Hmm, why, you ask? Well, an anonymous tip was given to me about you, and you see I’m a demon that feeds on the souls of pretty little things like you. And I absolutely love when my prey is terrified."  I looked to where Warren pointed and saw many other women, some bound, some not, all of them staring at the demon with fear in their eyes. The pieces came together. We were food. I watched the women and took in their poor states. They were thin and frail, dirty and beaten, and just all out miserable. It was disgusting what Warren was doing.

"As you can tell," Warren began speaking, "some of them are chained up like you. That's because they’re the stubborn ones. The less of a pain you are, the better you're treated… until your time to be my meal comes. And speaking of meals, you’ll be skipping yours tonight." The demon crept up and reached in between the bars, letting his claws slide against my skin. “I do hope my sources were correct about you, Raven. I was promised power, and I intend to get it.” And with that Warren left.

I sat back down against the wall, trying to position my arms so I could be comfortable. Sighing, I hit the back of my head against the wall. I was in a tricky situation for sure now. I repeatedly started to bang my head against the wall some more. Out of nowhere, I felt a tugging on my sleeve. I looked down and saw a little girl with bright red hair and dark skin. Her eyes shown like molten gold. She was very young looking.

"What's wrong, Miss Lady. Why do you hurt yourself?" the little girl asked. There was no doubt in my mind that this girl was a young Gerudo girl from the desert region.

I smiled down at the girl. "I'm just frustrated. I'm angry at myself for getting caught," I explained to her. I looked around, looking for anyone that resembled the girl. "Won't your mother get angry for talking to a stranger like me?" I asked.

The girl looked down solemnly. "No, she won't be upset. I don't even know who she is. My brother takes care of me!"

 _Brother?_ I wondered. _A male is only born once every hundred years._ "So where is your brother?" I asked the girl.

"My brother is over there. He's sleepy. He hasn't been awake since we got here. I'm scared for him," the girl whispered, quietly pointing, tears welling in her eyes.

"Shh," I said, stroking her hair. "It's okay. Can you bring your brother over here? We can stay together that way."

Her eyes lit up and she bolted to her brother. I caught sight of a brace around her ankle connected to a ball and chain. It didn't stop her though, or even really slowed her down. I had heard Gerudo women, even children, were really strong. Here was my proof.

The little girl grabbed her brother and started to bring him over here. He had a ball and chain on his ankle too, surely adding to his weight. The girl didn't even break a sweat carrying him. She set him down gently and sat down herself down beside him. The girl positioned her brother's head on my lap, and I began to stroke his hair like I had done to her the best I could. These chains were really annoying.

Looking at the brother, I could definitely tell they were _not_ related. For example the boy was seemingly pale and had silvery hair. He was obviously a good bit older as well than the Gerudo girl. Maybe older than me, so it was kind of awkward having him on my lap.

I looked to the girl. "So what's your name?" I asked.

She smiled at me. "I'm Genie and I'm this many years old!" she said happily, holding up five fingers. I couldn't help but smirk at her enthusiasm. She had so much energy for the position that she was in.

"Well, Genie, I'm Raven, and I’m eighteen. How did you get in here anyway?" I finally asked.

"Wow! You’re so old!”  I chose to ignore that comment. “It was a few weeks ago. I lived in a tribe that moved all around the desert. One day, we found my brother collapsed in the desert, probably about to die. We rescued him and he’s become like family to me!" Genie explained. "My brother couldn't remember his name. The only thing he said he could remember was a long time of darkness before he woke up in some ruins. It wasn't long after that we got captured. My brother tried to protect us but only got hurt. Now he won't wake up!"

Genie started to cry. "Don't worry. It'll be okay. Everything will be fine," I consoled her. "I promise I'll get you and your brother out of here. Your tribe is here too, aren't they?"

Genie shook her head. "They were all taken away someplace else! I don't know where they are! I-I’m scared…"

I didn't know what to do. How was I supposed to make her feel better? Feeling movement in my lap, I looked down to see Genie’s brother stirring. He was beginning to wake up. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his head. "Genie?" he asked, looking at the girl. "What happened?" The guy turned to look for the little Gerudo and immediately saw me. To say he was shocked was an understatement. He fell backwards with a shout, his—blood red?—eyes wide. "Who the hell are you?!" he snapped.

Genie put a small, tanned hand on his arm. "Brother, this is Miss Raven. She was brought here this afternoon. She's been talking to me… She’s… very nice."

The red eyed boy grabbed Genie in his muscular arms and held her close. "Why are you getting all buddy-buddy with my sister?! What game are you playing at?!"

I stared in disbelief. "Okay, I'm not playing games here. I just thought she would like company. And I'd like to help you two escape if possible." At least, by his reaction, I knew this man truly cared for Genie.

"I don't need your help! I can rescue us on our own!" the guy yelled.

"And how are you going to do that? If you haven't noticed, we're kind of stuck in here!"

"Well, what were you going to do?! You're in the same situation!"

As we argued, I couldn't help but notice something familiar about this guy. It was confusing. Where had I seen this guy? It was on the tip of my tongue… Like I had known the face for a while now, but it was not quite the same. "Have I met you before?" I suddenly asked.

Now the guy was as confused as I was. "I-I don't think so. I wouldn't remember anyway," he said. The guy shook his head. "No, I don't think so. Sorry."

Our heads snapped in Genie's direction when we heard sudden coughing. It sounded bad. Genie's brother rubbed her back soothingly as the coughing increased, turning more and more violent. I watched in horror as blood splattered against the dirt floor.

"Genie... Is she okay?" I asked.

Her brother sighed. "No, she's not. She became very sick when we arrived here. Probably caught something from one of the other captives… maybe even the animals… It's only a matter of time that someone discovers she's sick. They’ll kill her."

"Yes, we will," a voice said. We turned around and saw Warren standing outside our cage. He snapped his claw-tipped fingers and more demons swarmed into the cage. They ripped Genie out of her brother's arms and grabbed him and me by our hair. Warren let out an evil chuckle as one of the guards handed Genie to him, tucking her under his arm. He smiled at me, showing off his fangs. "Bring those two as well. I want them to see this. Let’s go have some fun."

Genie's brother and I were suddenly bound and being dragged out of the cage. We were brought outside and into the blinding heat. Where were we?

We were thrown onto the dusty ground roughly. Grunting, I sat up and tried to take in my surroundings. It looked like we were on a cliff. In front of me, the ground caved in like a huge bowl. What was happening?

A high pitched scream drew my attention as a demon tossed Genie into the deep bowl below the cliff. "Genie!" her brother and I yelled.

"Release my pet! It's time for the show!" Warren announced with a sinister voice. "Learn well from this, my dear Raven. I have no need for ill-ridden food."  I watched as cage doors in the side of the pit opened up. A snarling, fire-breathing Dodongo came charging out. Genie's eyes widened in fear and she quickly took off, Warren's laughter echoing throughout the terrain.

"Genie!" her brother screamed, tears in his eyes. He turned to Warren. "You bastard! Leave her be!" While her brother yelled at Warren, I could only stare at the morbid sight. I couldn't believe what was happening. I never knew people could be this cruel. I was so naïve.

Genie ran around in the pit, screaming and just barely evading the fire that was shot at her. How long could she keep this up? I was quickly granted my answer when the Dodongo latched onto Genie's arm with its razor-like teeth and ripped it clean off the little girl, shaking its head like a dog. I screamed alongside Genie, her screams froze me to my core. Blood flew everywhere and pooled around Genie's limp body.

"Genie!" her brother howled. His heart had to be breaking at the disturbingly morbid sight. Mine definitely was. He thrashed against his captors, still too weak to be able to do anything.

 _I have to do something! What do I do?! What do I do, dammit?!_ I swore at myself. Watching as the Dodongo crawled over Genie to finish its meal, something in me snapped. "Genie!" I screamed, my body bursting into flames redder than blood. The ropes that bound me burned to ashes; I stared at myself in disbelief as I stood. I was on fire, but I wasn't burning!

"An alchemist magi?! Impossible! You're supposed to be extinct!" I could hear Warren say with disbelief.

I stared down at my fiery arms. I didn't know what had happened, but I wasn't about to question it. Knocking the demons away with burning arms, I leapt down into the pit. I landed awkwardly, but I didn't hesitate to charge at the Dodongo hovering over Genie. I smashed into it, knocking it a little off balance. It quickly righted itself and swung around, using its massive tail to knock me back. The force took my breath away, my body folding into itself. I slid across the ground with groan, gasping as I attempted to catch my breath.

Genie had managed to crawl far enough away from the monster, taking shelter by the walls of the pit. The Dodongo had its focus completely on me now, snapping and snarling. It stomped its feet angrily and started to charge.

Ignoring the pain in my body, I jumped to my feet, the flames surrounding my body dancing with fury, and waited as the creature approached. With a strength that seemed to belong to something else entirely, I jumped out of the way just as the creature was hairsbreadth from me, allowing it to ram its head into the wall behind me. I ran for the dazed beast and shoved my burning arm passed its razor-like teeth and down its gaping throat, letting the flames on my arms leap into the beast’s body, roasting it from the inside out.

It was almost ironic how the very thing this creature wielded ended it… of course, it seemed to me that my fire was different from normal fire.

I turned my gaze up to Warren, fire in my eyes. It died down, however, when I saw someone looming over the demon. "Link," I breathed in surprise. What was he doing here?

The Hylian ghost turned to me, fully materialized somehow. The flames around me extinguished themselves now that the threat was gone. I bent down next to Genie and gently placed a hand on her. Blood continuously poured out of her shoulder. For the third time that day, I asked myself, _What do I do?_

An idea came to me as I tried to channel my newly found flames into one area. My hand started to grow hot, the fire from within making it like that of a hot poker. I grasped the end of the girl’s stump, grateful that Genie had already passed out, searing the tattered skin over the wound. My work done, I fell to the ground, my pain and exhaustion taking over me.

 

* * *

 

I felt heavy and weak, my body sore. Groaning, I let my eyes flutter open before they slammed shut again. “Ugh.” I forced my eyes open and looked around, taking in my surroundings. I was in my room at the mansion.

"You're up!" I heard from the doorway. I let my head roll to the right, and I saw Link standing in the doorway, tray in hand. He set the tray down and rushed to my side. "How are you feeling, Lady Raven?" he asked.

"I've been better," I admitted, my throat dry. Link gripped my hand and started to check my pulse on my wrist. _What?!_ "Link? How are you doing this? You’re… touching me… you aren’t… you’re completely solid…"

Link smiled at me and held up an amulet he had hanging off his neck. "Mistress Midna gifted me this amulet a long time ago. It allows me one wish. It took me awhile, but I found it and wished to be alive so long as I wore it," Link explained. “Of course, it only lasts so long before it needs to be recharged. I can only use it so much.”

"Oh. That's pretty cool," I said, smiling, unsure of what all to say. It was a bit awkward. "Thanks for coming to save me."

"You really didn't need my help, but I was glad to be able to put that demon down and be of some use.”

"How is that you found me?”

Link scratched his head. “I had already suspected something had happened when you hadn’t returned before dark. It was into the next morning that a woman came to the manor to see if you were feeling any better. Of course you weren’t here, so I went looking for you soon after.”  He inhaled deeply, closing his eyes in concentration. “I forgot I would be able to smell things so strongly in a physical form.”

“What do you mean?” I questioned.

Link looked a little fearful for a moment. "What I am—or was rather—was, is very sensitive to instincts and emotions. Our senses are very strong, so being able to smell everything as strong as before it a little overwhelming… I’m almost afraid. My kind,” he said sadly, “have been hunted for centuries. I’m sure I would have been next if I wasn’t already dead.”

I don't know what came over me, but I placed my hand on his shoulder. "You won't be hunted, Link. I'll make sure of that. It'd be a lot easier to help if I knew what you were, though."

Link stood up and turned his back to me. "I can't tell you that," he said, swinging his arm out. "I'd only scare you. I'm a monster!"

"Link, I just found out I’m not completely human and I can burst into flames. Nothing can freak me out right now."

"No! I refuse to tell you! At least not yet…" Link panicked. There was a long silence before he sighed. "Forgive my rudeness, Lady Raven. If you’d please, come down to the dining room when you're ready. There are things we need to discuss." And with that Link left.

I pouted, a huff escaping my lips before I decided to get up and heed the Hylian ghost’s request. I threw the covers off of me and got up on wobbly legs. I immediately noticed that I wasn’t in my normal sleeping clothes. Instead I was in an old Victorian-style dressing gown and someone—probably Link—bandaged my injuries. Quickly dressing in my normal clothes, jeans and a green blouse, I headed downstairs.

I found everyone, including Genie and her brother, sitting around the table with Link. Apparently Link had cleaned the dining room while he was still solid because it sparkled with cleanliness. The red drapery was clean and hung beautifully over tall arched windows. The marble floors reflected in the light, bright and shiny. The long mahogany table was looking exceptional and the chandelier above cast a warm glow, the lights twinkling off the crystal.

As I entered, I noticed how Link and Genie's brother sat across from each other. Something started nagging on my mind. I couldn't put my finger on it until both guys brushed their hair out of their eyes. "Oh, my freaking gosh!" I exclaimed. "I've got it! You two look just like each other! Mostly, anyway!"

"I'm glad you noticed, my lady," Link said, standing up. "We should."

"Why?" I asked.

"Yeah, why?" Genie's brother asked.

"You, my friend, are essentially my doppelgänger. You were my only friend as a child, yet you were a demon of shadows. You were originally meant to look like me, so you'd be able to get close enough to kill me since I was a threat at the time.”  Link quickly shot me a look. “A story for another time,” he quickly addressed. “You were considered a demon for hire. You revolted against the man that hired you and as your punishment you were cursed to look that way forever. Or that's what you told me long ago," Link explained.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down. How come I don't remember any of this?" Link's double asked.

"You became part of the staff here around the same time I did. When the master scattered the servants of the manor, he sent them into a hibernation and erased their memories so they wouldn't remember anything when they woke up. After killing me and trapping the Mistress, he had used up all his newfound energy. It was all he could do."

"If this is all true… Tell me my name. I want to know."

Link smirked. "Your name is Dark."

"Dark," the shadow demon said, testing his own name. "It seems right… somehow familiar."

"Dark!" Genie exclaimed. "I like it!"

The shadow demon smiled. "I'm glad." He turned to face Link. "So since I work here… technically, what do I do?"

"You were another butler. You liked to handle more of the dangerous jobs, however. Like training the new guard recruits and sometimes patrolling the grounds. We were butlers of many skills and were considered very dangerous in our time, in more ways than one. We had many nicknames too. The Demon Butlers, The Butlers of Light and Dark, etcetera," Link snickered at the names, a smirk on his face. He became serious in a quick moment. "The original mistress of his mansion has been trapped for more than a century now and the lord has gone off into hiding. Now I ask of you, as a devoted butler of Mistress Midna, help us save her. I've already enlisted the services of Lady Raven, but all the servants of this manor must gather here to save the Mistress."

 _So that's what's going on. I never would have guessed Dark was a demon, though. I would have thought he would have been more scary... like Warren. It seems the whole staff must have been supernatural. I guess everything isn’t so black and white,_ I realized.

Dark placed a hand on his chin, deep in thought. He looked at me, then at Link, finally at Genie before asking, "Can Genie stay with me? She's like a sister to me and it's my job to look after her.”

"Of course," I said with Link nodding in agreement.

"All right then," Dark said. "You can count on me!"

Link sighed in relief. "Thank you, Dark, my old friend. It's good to have you back."

I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my lips, feeling happy that I could help the people who had gone through so much. I wish I could do more than offer a roof over their heads. “How is Genie, by the way?” I asked after the young girl.

Dark smiled tiredly, taking in a deep breath. His eyes glanced up to mine, and to my surprise, they were filled with relief and something else I couldn’t quite place. “She’s okay. We took her to the hospital while you were resting and they fixed her up. They said if it wasn’t for you cauterizing the wound, she wouldn’t be alive. Raven… you saved her life.”

Shaking my head, I shrugged. “I was just doing what needed to be done. I didn’t save anyone.”

“Agree to disagree.”

The two lookalikes, smiling at each other, were interrupted by a loud chime. I jumped and Link merely faced in the direction of the foyer. "Excuse me, there is someone at the door." He headed to get the door, leaving Dark, Genie, and me lingering in the dining room.

I was about to ask Dark how he was handling everything when I heard a familiar voice yell, "Where's my sister?!"

 _It couldn’t be! It’s impossible! H-He’s dead! But… that voice…_  I stood from my chair and moved to confront a familiar face at the door. “B-Brother?!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think? I was feeling very iffy about putting the whole Warren debacle, because it felt rushed and weird in the original story, but then I realized he was more critical to the plot than I thought. So here we are.
> 
> If there are any fans of the original story here, what would you definitely like to see make it here? What would you like to see changed? Is there anything you want added?
> 
> I love to hear from you guys.
> 
> Remember to comment, kudos, or bookmark! Hope you enjoyed!


	4. Chapter Four

My body froze and I momentarily forgot to breathe. My brother was here?! Why?! Better yet, how?! How was Calum here?! He was supposed to be dead! What did this mean?

I walked into the foyer and peeked around the corner. Link and the man who appeared to be my brother were standing at the doorway, an angry scowl on “Calum's” face. If this was really my brother, he had gotten taller. He was probably around six foot now and had filled out nicely. The ends of his white-blonde hair were dyed a light blue, making oh-so familiar vibrant green eyes pop. “Calum” looked so different, and yet there was no mistaking that this was definitely my brother… at least I hoped.

"Where the hell is my sister?! I know she's here! I saw her name in the paper!" the Calum standing before Link snarled.

I took a couple of tentative steps out from around the shadow of the doorframe, my footsteps sounding so loud in the silence that quickly took the place of previous shouting. My eyes lifted to meet my brother’s. “C-Calum? Is that… is that really you?” my voice came out jittery, full of nerves.

He stared. Calum just stared at me, mouth open in disbelief. It looked like he was staring at a ghost—present company excluded. "Raven!" he shouted, his eyes wide. He ran up to me and threw his arms around me, squeezing tightly. "Thank the stars you're okay! When I saw your name in the paper, I—I could only hope that it wasn’t a mistake and that you were alive.” He was crying now, big fat tears rolling down his cheeks. “I’ll never leave you again!”

I sighed in relief, a weight I wasn’t even aware of lifting off of my shoulders. My own gross sobbing joined his. “W-Wait a minute,” I stuttered. “How are _you_ alive?”

He sniffled, wiping away his tears. “You were on your overnight trip with the school, the one to the art museum in the capital? When you were away, I got into a big fight with mom and dad and left the city. When I received word on the… on the fire, I tried to find out what happened, but I couldn’t find any sources on when the fire was—if it was during the trip or when you got back—or who was involved. I couldn’t even find the names in the obituary.”

“That… would be my fault. I just couldn’t deal with the reminder of everyone, so I asked for the incident to be put as vague as possible. I’m sorry, Calum.”  I looked away sheepishly. “How did you manage to find me if you thought I was dead?”

Calum huffed. “I returned to the city and went to the cemetery. You had already left by the time I got there, and when I didn’t see a headstone for you, I hoped for the best, but assumed the worst. Like you, I needed a change, so I came in search of job here and that’s when I saw your name in the paper the other day. It took ages to get any info on you past that.”

"That was probably an article on how I became the owner of the Twilight Manor."

Calum sputtered. "Owner of the Twilight Manor?! What are you talking about?! Is that what that article was saying?"

"It's true," Link interjected politely. "Lady Raven is the mistress of the house. She's working diligently to make the necessary payments."

My brother looked to Link, then back to me. "Payments? How are you even affording the wages of the people that work here? Last I checked, you didn't have a job."

"If I may explain?" Link offered. "We come with the house, so to speak. We've lived here our whole lives and have nowhere to go. The manor's entire staff is, putting it lightly, a group of misfits that would not be welcomed anywhere else. Room and board is all we require.”

"I see," Calum stated simply. "And what are you planning to do as for a job and schooling?"

I remained silent for a moment. "For now, I've been selling artwork. If I can send one off to a gallery and have someone be interested in buying it, that’s a good chunk of cash. I could auction them off as well. I'm about to go job hunting in town too." It wasn’t a complete lie. I had just decided on the spot. "As for schooling, it starts in a few days and I have some good scholarships for college, so I should be fine."

Calum breathed a sigh of relief. "Sounds like you have most everything figured out. That's a weight off my mind.” He faced me directly and gave me a smile. “I'm glad you're okay. I do have one last question, though. How did you get all these bruises?"

 _Shi-iit!_ I swore to myself. _I totally forgot about my injuries. What do I even tell him?!_ "Well, you know me, Calum. I'm a clumsy oaf. Raven the klutz decided she was going to trip down the stairs yesterday.” _Please, buy it. Just believe it… believe!_

Calum stared at me skeptically. He quirked a challenging eyebrow at me before throwing his head back to laugh. I missed the sound of his laugh. I thought I would never get to hear it again. It was a wonderful noise. "Yeah, I guess you were always pretty clumsy!” A look of realization crossed his face suddenly. “Oh, guess what? The job I was searching for? I checked in with the police station here, and they're going to hire me!"

"That's great, Calum! I knew you had the makings of a great officer!" I congratulated him with a hug. I hoped he didn’t believe criminals as easily as he would believe me. That wouldn’t be good for his rep. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow."

I smiled. "Would you like to stay here, at least till you can support yourself?" I asked him. I turned to glance questioningly at Link, waiting for his approval. The ghost simply shot me a look that said “It’s your house”.

Calum's face lit up with excitement. "Would you? That'd be great. Of course, as long as it's okay with the staff. I wouldn't want to burden anyone."

Link nodded. "That is perfectly fine," he said, thoughtfully. “It will be nice to have so many voices filling the halls again.”

I mouthed a thank you to Link before yelling to the others in the house. "Dark! Genie! Come meet my brother!" Calum's eyes wandered to the direction Dark and Genie came from. "This is Dark, another butler. And this is Genie, his sister," I introduced. It was hard to contain the excitement I was feeling. I wanted to share the news of my brother’s existence with the world.

"Thank you for taking care of my sister," Calum said to them. "And I appreciate you letting me stay here."

"I'll show you to your room," Link told Calum as he led the way, smiling.

I watched them make their way up the stairs, only averting my gaze as they turned down the hall. "Well, I think I'll go take a bath," I announced, heading for the stairs as well. A thought occurred to me, causing me to stop and turn back. "Would you like to come, Genie? We could have a little girl bonding."

Her face brightened. "Can I?! I've never bathed with someone before, not even my tribe sisters." She ran to catch up with me. “Bath! Bath! It’s going to be so much fun!”

A smile stretched across my face. Genie’s happiness was only amplifying my own. "Some people say the bath is where women do their best thinking. Come on," I couldn’t wait to relax and soak in the warm water.

 

* * *

 

"Genie! Calm down! You're getting water everywhere," I shouted with a chuckle escaping as the little Gerudo played in the water that filled the gigantic tub.

"Sorry," she said, sheepishly.

I couldn’t stop grinning. "It's okay." Leaning back in the tub, I grabbed the shampoo and began lathering up my hair. I was quick to do Genie’s as well. Once our hair was covered in suds, we rinsed and moved on to the rest of bodies. “Can’t stay in here to long,” I told her. “Too much heat is bad for blood pressure and we’ll look like prunes.” Soaping up a rag I rubbed Genie down, careful around the scarring shoulder where her arm had been. The wound looked so angry and tender. At least there wasn’t any infection setting in, and the doctors did a good job treating it.

We were just about to rinse off ourselves when I heard someone outside the door. "It’s coming from here. I know it is!"

_Who's that? That sounds like…_

“Link, I’m just not smelling what you are. You sure that schnoz of yours isn’t busted? You’ve only been dead for a couple of centuries only to come back alive and be bombarded with scents.”

_Link?! And that other voice is Dark’s, no question about that!_

“You don’t understand, my friend. I have to know what that smell is! I’ve… never smelled anything like it… I just have to know!” The door to the bathroom opened with a clatter, revealing the two look-alikes. "L-L-Lady Raven! I-I—Please forgive my rudeness!” Link stuttered upon seeing me and realizing what room he had walked into.

I could feel my face heating up, turning red, from the tip of my nose to the tips of my long ears. Shrieking, I ducked under the water in attempt to hide myself from the butlers’ gazes. "Get out!" I shouted at the pair. “Get out! Get out! Get out!”

Link snapped down in a bow, his face turning a bright red—much like my own—and shouted a quick, "I'm sorry!" before bolting out the door. Dark looked remarkably unfazed, simply closing the door behind him.

Calming myself, I faced a confused Genie. "What just happened, Miss Raven? I don't get it," she questioned.

I turned away, mortified. "I-I'll explain it when your older."

* * *

 

So, my bath time hadn't turned out exactly how I had wanted, but nevertheless, I was clean. I sat on my bed, brushing my hair, nothing of importance currently going through my head, except the catastrophe from earlier. What a train wreck that was.

Genie was probably sleeping right about now. She said that she preferred to sleep with her brother. Dark tried to deny any enjoyment he got out of it, but I thought it was cute and I teased him mercilessly. At any rate, whether he enjoyed it or not, he humored the young Gerudo.

I started humming to myself; it was just a mindless little tune, but it made me happy. I couldn’t quite remember where I had heard it before. It was just on the right side of familiar to trigger the slightest bit of déjà vu. A knock on the door alerted me, drawing my attention. "Come in," I answered, calling out to whoever was on the other side of the door.

Calum poked his head in the room. "Hey, sis," he greeted. "How's it going?"

I nodded. "Fine. Why do you ask?"

He raised an eyebrow at me and smirked. "Oh, I don't know. A little birdy told me that you had quite the time in the bath…”

Scowling at my brother, I elbowed him harshly. “Stop it,” I chided, cheeks pinking. “I have more important things to worry about at the moment.” Did I really though?

Calum laughed, before he looked at me sternly. “Seriously, though. Do I need to beat up the butler now?”  I shook my head vehemently, Calum’s face returning to its usual goofiness. “Oh, that also reminds me. I hope you’re ready for school tomorrow.”

"Tomorrow?!" I exclaimed, my eyes widening. "I totally forgot with all that’s been going on!” Giving my brother a sidelong look, I narrowed my eyes, brows furrowing in suspicion. “How did you figure all this out?”

He shook his head, a faint smile settling. "I had a little excursion in town earlier this evening and I found it posted in Town Square on the Update Board. Luckily for you, I decided to pick up your uniform while I was out," he said, pulling out clothes on a hanger in one of those plastic bag things from behind his back. I hadn’t even noticed that he’d been carrying it.

I huffed. "A uniform? Awe, man, I thought I had escaped those," I sighed. "Oh, well. Thanks, Calum." I kissed him on the cheek, accepting the impediment to my freedom of expression, reluctantly.

"No problem. Anyway, night, turd," he said, leaving the room.

"Goodnight, moblin breath," I grinned. Watching as Calum left the room, I waited to hear the click of the door before going to my closet. I slipped off the robe I had on and grabbed a nightgown. Pulling it over my head, I made my way back to my bed and crawled underneath the covers.

I had just started to fall asleep when I heard my door creak open. "Lady Raven?" a voice called out from the darkness.

"Link?" I questioned. I could just barely see the butler's face thanks to the sliver of moonlight coming from the night sky out my window. The silvery light accented Link's face and made his eyes glow with an otherworldly power. How appropriate. I must say, he was very…handsome. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to apologize for earlier," he stated meekly.

I thanked whatever deity was out there for the light to be shining away from me, leaving my face in darkness. Without it, Link would undoubtedly see the raging blush on my face, and we couldn’t be having that. "T-That's okay. I doubt you saw anything through all the suds and bubbles anyway."

"Yes. Exactly… I mean, not that there wasn’t not anything to see, but I didn’t actually see anything. I mean your body is very lovely… but I swear I didn’t see it.”  His words got faster and faster the more he struggled for something to say. Finally he stopped, letting out an exaggerated heave. “Insert foot into mouth.”

"Right… Link, is there something wrong?" I asked him. I heard his footsteps approaching the bed. "When the… incident… happened, you and Dark were talking about a smell. Are you okay?"

Link shook his head, letting his hair hang in front of his face. "I don't really know. Ever since this temporary life was given to me by the pendant, I've been experiencing this… scent most vividly. And it smells absolutely wonderful. I have no idea what it is, but it pretty much lingers throughout the house.”  He let out a breathy laugh. “Dark thinks my nose is malfunctioning after being dead so long, but—to be honest—I feel like I’m going crazy.”

"What does it smell like?" I couldn't help but ask.

Link closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "It smells like… the morning dew on sweet grass, light cresting off the herbs in the garden—a bit medicinal with a sweet undertone. It’s a little wild while still holding some semblance of restraint. It’s stupid, but I find myself comparing it to the way dust mites move so freely in the first rays of sun, but are only seen within the beam.”

I couldn't stop the blush from spreading as Link spoke. The way he said it and his tone of voice sounded like he was reciting poetry to a lover. It was so surreal. "Wow," I uttered, not even realizing how close Link had gotten to me. He was practically sitting right beside me on the bed. “Do those smells even go together?”

“You wouldn’t think so.” I heard Link inhale again. "Excuse me, Lady Raven? If you'll permit it, will you allow me to try something?" he asked.

Without giving it much thought, or really knowing why, I nodded. My arms were seized in a tight grip, a bit rougher than I would have thought capable of the former spirit, but still no less careful. Pulling me towards him, Link tentatively stuck his nose against the side of my neck, gently moving my hair out the way. His breath tickled against my skin as a sharp discomfort started to bloom in my arms. Before I knew it, I was being tucked back into bed as if nothing had happened at all.

"Forgive my abruptness, Lady Raven. I don't know what came over me... I'll be retiring to my bed chambers now. I forgot how exhausting it was to be alive," Link said, refusing to meet my gaze. He headed towards the door. "If you need anything, do not hesitate to ask. Goodnight." And with that, he was gone.

After all that, there was no way I was going to get to sleep. Being alive was affecting Link more than I thought it would. Not that I ever thought him being alive would ever be a possibility at this point. But I could tell that Link’s newfound life was scaring him, and I believed it had something to do with the life he lived before and how whatever he was had affected him. Whatever paranormal… thing he was, I wanted to know what it was and why he was so afraid of himself.

I waited a good hour and a half, making it nearly one in the morning, before I peeked out the door. It looked like everyone was asleep, the halls silent and still. Cautiously, I tiptoed down towards the library in the east wing. All the servants' rooms were in the west, all of them except Link's room. The tower where Link resided was in the east wing at the far end of the hall, so I had to be deathly quiet.

Eventually, I made it to the library, somehow without any problems. As I went to turn on a kerosene lamp, I accidently knocked a knickknack of some sort off the table. It fell to the floor with a clatter, and my body tensed up at the sound—practically seizing up. I held my breath and remained silent, listening for anyone moving through the manor to check on the noise. I must've waited five minutes before moving again, the only sound the tiny little breaths I let slip past my lips. I let out a sigh of relief and actually managed to turn on the lamp this time. Looking to the floor, I saw the thing I knocked over had been a paper weight in the image of a horse. I scowled at the thing before placing it back on the table.

I placed my hands on my hips and stared at the large amount of books circling around me as the crawled up the walls towards the ceiling. "All right, time to get started," I murmured to myself. Walking over to the desk and pulling out the records from a drawer, my eyes began looking at the cataloging pages. "Should I look under “P” for paranormal or “S” for supernatural?" I asked myself. I flipped to the P's: nothing. I flipped to the S's. Dragging my finger down the page, it landed on a book called “Supernatural Creatures of the World”. I looked at its call number and began combing the shelves, searching for the tome with the answers I needed.

After about ten minutes of searching, I finally found the book, its burgundy spine peeking out between a pair of monstrously huge history books. Grabbing it, I made my way to the desk, sat down, and brightened the lamp. I opened the book and let my eyes scour the pages. Unfortunately, the book didn't have the more rare types of creatures listed. The only thing I could narrow it down to was a specter. A specter was more commonly known as a ghost. Apparently, they could appear as spirit orbs, energy, mist, or shadows of themselves when they were alive. It was an uncommon occurrence for a specter to be natural-borne, or born a specter. Specters could also take the forms of animals.  _Bingo!_

Feeling victorious for the night, I made my way back to my room, yawning the whole way. It was two when I finally lay down for the night. Closing my eyes, I attempted to let sleep overtake me when a monumental realization made my body go cold. _Link had mentioned that he had a life—like an actual life—before, right? And he seems to think of himself as more of a monster in life than he was in death. He can’t possibly be a specter!_

I grumbled angrily, hunkering further down into my blankets. It was back to the drawing board.

* * *

 

The next morning was absolutely, undeniably… hell. Link had woken me up  ** _dark_**  and early at o'dark thirty. He insisted, saying, "You need to be wide awake today at school." So of course, I let him do it. I kind of wondered if Link had any idea as to what the schools of today were like. Highly doubtful.

Changing into my uniform was absolutely mortifying, if you asked me. I was wearing a long white, button up blouse that was tucked into a green and black pleated skirt. And of course, there was the matching tie. The skirt was a bit too short on my long legs. It was probably an appropriate length in all actuality. I was just feeling a bit self-conscious.

Pulling on some white knee socks, I put on my loafers, and grabbed my coat to finish off the uniform and that was black.

As I made my way downstairs, I could smell food coming from the kitchen. I walked into the dining room and saw my brother and Genie eating pancakes. Who cooked all this? "Ah, Lady Raven. I hope you slept well last night. Can I interest you in some breakfast?" I heard Link ask. I peeked into the kitchen and saw Link at the stove. He had an apron around his waist and a skillet in his hand. Guess that answered my question.

"Uh, sure." I sat down at the table as Link set a plate down in front of me. It was really good. "I didn't know you could cook, Link," I mentioned, finishing my breakfast. Looking at Link, I couldn’t help but notice how domestic he looked. I wonder if he used to do this often back when the manor was in its heyday.

He shook his head. "I'm not great at it. I only know how to cook a few select things. Until the chef comes back, you'll be stuck with me."

So it wasn’t always like this then? It was kind of a shame to be honest. Link was rather handsome dressed like this. I guess it kind of showed a nurturing side of him that I normally didn’t see. Nodding, I got up out of my seat and started heading towards the door. "Well, I have to go. I'm off to school."

I felt a hand grab my shoulder. "Shall I escort you to school, my lady?" Link asked.

"No, I will. I'm her brother after all," my brother snapped walking towards us.

Link bowed. "Of course. Please excuse me, Master Calum." Link walked away looking a little defeated.

Calum pushed me by my shoulder. "Come on, Raven, let's get going. You have a full day of school ahead of you." I let him lead me out the door and into his truck parked outside, thinking,  _What the hell was that about?_

* * *

 

It was just like my old school. I sat alone at a circular lunch table, my sketch book in front of me, pencil in hand as I casually munched on an apple. My pencil danced all over the page, leaving smoky gray marks across the pristine, white surface. I watched the picture start to unfurl as did the wings on the angel I was drawing. As I went to draw the face, I couldn't help but notice how it magically seemed to turn into Link's. What was wrong with me? Why was I drawing Link as an angel? I mean, there was no way in Hell that he was an actual angel. The real question was whether or not my subconscious was trying to tell me something by making these parallels.

"That's really cool!" a voice said from behind me. I whipped around and saw a girl looking over me at my drawing. Where had she come from? "He looks so amazing! And he's so handsome!"

 _I'm glad I'm not the only one who thinks so,_ I thought to myself. The girl in front of me had bright green eyes filled with delight and dirty blonde hair pulled over her shoulder. Light freckles dusted her nose, giving the cheery girl an innocent look.

"Oh, right. Where are my manners. Father raised me better than this. I'm Ilia!" she said chirpily.

I smiled. Someone my age was actually talking to me. This was definitely a new occurrence. "I'm Raven."

"Well, it's nice to meet you. How do you draw that good?" Ilia asked, taking a seat next to me, her country drawl thick. She wasn’t originally from here. Maybe that was why she was talking to me: kindred spirits.

"It took lots of practice, years of it."

"Wow, you're so dedicated. Oh, hang on. Navi! Over here!" she yelled at some blue haired girl. I didn’t think the school would allow that.

"Hey, Ilia! Hey… new girl that I have never met. How are you?" the blue haired girl asked. Matching eyes stared at me with wonder and excitement. This tiny girl, Navi, was practically vibrating.

"I'm Raven. I'm doing well," I answered.

The spritely girl grinned widely, showing off sparkling white teeth. "Well, I'm Navi! By the way, if I ever get annoying, just hit me upside the head or something."

I laughed lightly, raising an eyebrow at the pair in confusion at the statement. "Okay. I'll remember that. Um, I have a question."

The girls looked at each other. "What?" they asked in synchronicity.

"Why are you talking to me? Usually people don't like me.” Or they want to kidnap me and eat my soul.

They shrugged. "You seem cool to me," Ilia said.

"Yeah, and you seem really nice!" Navi added. “We’re not from around here originally, so we know how hard it is to make friends right away.” Squeaking, Navi’s mouth formed an O and her eyes went wide as she began bouncing on her toes. "Oh, that reminds me. Do you guys want to come to a magic show this afternoon? The magician has been traveling all around Hyrule. Supposedly, he’s from this general area and he wanted to give some free shows to what he considers his home.”

"Yeah, that sounds awesome!" Ilia agreed to go.

I thought about it for a moment. I wondered what Link would say. _He’d probably want me to lay low. They never did find Warren, so who knows what he’s up to. Wait. Why do I care what Link thinks? I can do what I feel like, can't I? But… I feel like I should tell him,_ I thought to myself. Shaking my head, I cleared my racing thoughts and made up my mind. "Sure. I'll come. Just let me call my house first or my brother since we don't have a phone, now that I think about it," I finally decided.

"Why don't you have a phone?" Ilia asked me, confused.

I looked away sheepishly. "Well, I live in a really old house that can't support electricity just yet. Got to get permits and stuff."

Navi's eyes widened. "Oh, my gosh! You're Raven Phillips! The new owner of Twilight Manor!" she freaked. "Is it true that you live with a butler and everything?"

 _Have people seen Link recently? I can’t imagine he’d just be outright recognized as a butler._ "Yeah, that's me. And yes, I have butlers."

“Butlers?! As in plural?!”

"Navi!” Ilia scolded. “Sorry about that. Navi is an intellectual nerd of info consisting of pretty much everything. It’s a wonder how she finds all this stuff out. I constantly find myself wondering how she hasn't graduated college yet.”

"Hey! My knowledge is very helpful. For example, the butlers of Twilight Manor are rumored to have worked there since it was first built, having been in a deep hibernation," Navi explained.

"Yeah," Ilia drawled. “That’s not exactly possible, though, is it?” She turned to me. "So you must be pretty rich to have been able to afford the manor."

I shook my head. "Not really. I'm working it off. And it wasn’t in super great condition. But it’s been deemed a historical landmark as far as I’m aware, so that helps in the maintenance department. Now, let's talk more about this magician. This is getting interesting."

**Author's Note:**

> I have no idea if you can actually acquire a house this way. (I mean, there weren't any "no trespassing" signs so...)
> 
> Please comment, kudos, and bookmark this story! It would really mean a great deal.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
